The present invention relates to a method for local application of an active preventive and/or therapeutic agent on teeth and the tissues surrounding the teeth in the oral cavity, and a composition for use with this method.
By experimental investigations and practical application it has been proved that certain chemical substances when applied locally are effective agents in preventing the occurrrence or reducing the spreading of pathological alterations in the teeth and surrounding tissues.
An example of such a substance is fluorine which is used to a great extent in odontology, for instance for painting the teeth with the object of preventing caries. Another example is chlorohexidine which is used locally for both therapeutic and preventive purposes.
For fluorine treatment, for example, limited sections of the dental arch, usually a quadrant corresponding to 8 - 5 teeth in the upper or lower jaw, are painted or coated using pieces of cotton or gauze which have been dipped in a fluorine solution of suitable concentration, after which the fluorine solution applied in this way is permitted to influence the tooth tissue for a certain period of time. During this time of exposure it is necessary to prevent mouth saliva and lips, cheeks and tongue from coming into contact with the area which has been treated. For this purpose special drying arrangements are used such as the mounting of saliva suction means, the application of wadding dryer or other steps such as the application of cofferdam. These steps are extremely uncomfortable for the patient and are used to prevent saliva from reaching the tooth surfaces since by diluting or rinsing off the active substance the saliva reduces or destroys the intended effect of the treatment. This effort to avoid saliva coming into contact with the tooth surfaces thus also involves keeping the patient under constant observation during the treatment. Another drawback with the described method of application is that there is also a risk of the patient swallowing the fluorine solution or of the fluorine solution coming into contact with other parts of the mouth than those parts intended for treatment. Only after treatment of one section has been completed can preparations for and treatment of the next section be undertaken until all teeth have been treated with the fluorine solution.
It will be understood from the above that the method of application described above which has been in general use hitherto is both timeconsuming and laborious. There is also a factor of uncertainty as to the result of the treatment, particularly in the case of patients who are generally difficult to treat or children who are very lively.